The New Guy
by Survivalguy21
Summary: My first zombie story. It will star my own OC in the manga version. This is merely the product of reading too many horror stories. Geoffrey Dees is the property of ChaoticCrazy.
1. New Dead

After reading some High School of the Dead stories, I decided to try and write bout something I planned for. I own nothing except for my COD: Modern Warfare 2 T-shirt.

_A lot sure has changed_.

I looked around the airport, seeing almost no one. Mostly staff screwing around.

_Should be busier than this._

Back in America, I was hearing rumors of a new worldwide pandemic. Not thinking much of it, I traveled to Japan, knowing about how much they panicked about diseases. After serving in The Corps, I took my retirement and started traveling wherever I felt. Rank has its privileges. I walked up to the currency exchange, did my business and started looking for a cab.

_Thank God there's more people. I thought this place was dead._

I couldn't get a cab, something about foreigners, so I jogged a few blocks, looking for a hotel. Luckily, I was in a tourist hotspot and found one in no time at all. After checking in and heading up to my room, I examined my luggage, legal and otherwise. If there's one thing I learned from boy scouts, it's being prepared. I pulled out my Ruger Mk II internally suppressed variant. No use in alerting the authorities. I had gotten it during a joint operation with Seal Team 10.

_Good as new. No surprise there_.

I dropped the magazine, pulled back the slide a few times, aimed it at a soda can and pulled the trigger. **CLICK.**

_Man I love that sound._

I reloaded the magazine and stuffed the pistol into the safe. Next I pulled out my old service Ka-Bar. I did a quick sharpness test. Finding it to my liking, I put it back in its sheath. Then I pulled out my personal favorite. My Ruger Vaquero chambered for .357 magnum with a blued finish and custom oak wood grips. I had personally modified it for speed shooting. Sure people laugh at me for using a six-shooter instead of a plastic handgun, but they stop laughing when they realized how fast I shoot. I was lucky to get it past customs. I had to smuggle it in through a diplomatic bag, but it was worth it. I stowed it back in its holster and putt it in the safe. After taking care of some other goodies I finally found the time to sleep.

_I am beat._


	2. Dead Dean

**Part 2 of my story. Once again, I own nothing. If there are any spelling mistakes, please let me know.**

_Damn. What time is it?_

I turned over and glanced at my alarm. 5:12.

_Might as well get up_.

A started my usual morning exercise. 100 pushups, sit-ups and pull-ups. I jumped in the bathroom for a quick shower and tossed on my cloths. I was wearing my First Recon shirt and a pair of Vietnam era cargo pants_._ Walking over to the safe, I pulled out the and the Ka-Bar. Checking to see they were securely hidden, I then ran out the door. I figured I'd get some food from a convenience store. Spotting a 7-Eleven, I walked over. I grabbed a hotdog and a Mountain Dew.

_Not the best breakfast I've had, but it'll do for now._

As I was walking to grab some chips, I heard the cashier lose breakfast. His eyes and skin were white as snow.

_This guy is really dedicated to a dead-end 7-Eleven job._

I just passed him the money and headed back to the hotel.

_Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. _

There were few guys walking around, still drunk. They seemed to shamble around not really going anywhere. As long as they didn't ask for handouts, I was good. Giving money to homeless is one thing. Drunks are something else. I figured I'd grab some more sleep until everything started opening up. Not wanting to waste perfectly good food, I chowed down on my breakfast. Walking back in my room, I went to check on my Vaquero. Still there.

_I was only gone for ten minutes. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid_.

I hopped back in bed and set the alarm for eight. Sleep came quickly.

Waking up, I knew something was wrong. I glanced over to the clock. The readout read 1:32.

_I guess I made a mistake with the alarm._

I got up and did my thing. Checked over my weapons making sure they were still safe. I decided to go grab lunch. I figured no one would bother me in the afternoon, so I took the Ka-Bar.

I had run a P.T. course near a private high school; I figured I'd check out and see if any friends had taken residence nearby. I started sprinting away from the city. I was fine there, but I grew up in the American Midwest. I prefer the country to cities any day.

_I'm getting way too slow._

I made a mental note to start running more.

_No way am I going to die in a hospital bed from a heart attack._ "

I decided to go check out the high school first as it was closer. I had helped them do some Macgyvering with the woodshop equipment, so I had some friends there. I moved towards the gates and saw some teachers and Mr. Itou, the school dean. They appeared to be dealing with another drunk.

_There are way too many out here._

Suddenly, the drunk bit one of the Itou. As he collapsed to the ground, I rushed towards the drunk, hoping to stop him. I glanced over and saw the dean get up. He grabbed another one of the teachers and tore her throat out with his teeth...

**And cliffhanger. To be continued next time.**


	3. Alex Ambrose

**I really have stop working on this at school. I own nothing except my character, Alex Ambrose.**

I stopped and thought what to do now. I ran towards one of the hedges, scrambled over the wall and approached the teachers.

"What's going on?" I yelled out to the Itou.

He made no reply and instead lurched out towards me. I've dealt with a lot more than crazies before. This was no problem. I grabbed him by the throat, place my foot against his right calf, grabbed his left arm and tossed him to the ground. He landed on his head, snapping it with a soft –crack-.

I turned to check the others when I heard a low groan. I turned around and saw Itou's body. His eyes and mouth were still moving.

_Now I need to start worrying._

Just as I was starting to put everything together, the other teacher started moaning. Quickly, I took my knife and jabbed it into her left kidney. A stab to the kidney isn't fatal but it still hurts. Ask anyone who has had a kidney stone. The problem here was the teacher had no reaction.

_God if you're there, some smiting would be nice._

I pulled out my Ka-Bar and did what anyone would have done in that situation. Run.

_No way am I going to fight if I can't even win._

Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome. The Corps mantra. I needed something more effective.

"_No one would bother me" my ass_.

I regretted leaving my guns in the safe. I ran towards the woodshop room, figuring I could make something to use.

Suddenly the intercom flicked on.

"Students please follow your teachers and staff out of the building. This is an evacuation. I repeat—," There was a pause, then a loud crash, "No get away from me!," more crashing could be heard, "No! Arghhhhh!"

I started double timing it towards woodshop. More and more people were filling the hallways. Everyone was going in the opposite direction. It felt like going upstream Niagara Falls.

_Stay calm. It never works but no one ever seems to realize it._

I passed a classroom and something fell on me. Without looking to see what it was, I pushed it off and got back up.

_The only thing that's gonna comfort me now is an assault rifle and a squad of Marines._

I ran around a corner and came facing a scene that looked like a horror movie. Blood streaking down the walls and pooling the floor. There were some pale corpses-much to my horror-still walking around. I pushed my way through the horde. I practically broke the door down open the door and came face-to face with two students. They were both dressed in the school uniform. The girl was tall and had pink hair. The boy was large and wore thick glasses and was armed with what appeared to be a nail gun. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Hirano Kohta, Class B. this Saya Takagi"

"I can say my own name", the other kid yelled.

They were both students dressed in the school uniform. The boy was large and wore thick glasses. The girl was tall and had pink hair.

_Does anyone have natural hair colors anymore?_

"Who are you and were you bit?" the boy asked.

"I haven't been bitten," I replied, "and as for who I am. Gunnery Sergeant Alex Ambrose, USMC First Recon. Retired."


	4. Dead Students

**I really have stop working on this at school. I own nothing except my character, Alex Ambrose.**

"An American Marine?" Hirano asked.

"No I'm one of the Royal British Marines" I replied sarcastically as I put my knife away.

"Prove it," he asked leveling the gun.

"Can't you read the shirt? It says 'First Recon'"

"Good enough I guess."

_I have a teenager's seal of approval. Great._

"You know the layout of the school, any ideas where we should go?" I asked.

The girl decided to cut in. "I think we should go to the teacher's lounge."

_Don't know if it's the best idea but it's not like I have a plan either._

"Which way?" I asked.

"Not too far. Just down the hall," Hirano replied pointing to my right.

I was starting to get concerned about his nail gun.

"Any idea how to use that?"

"I trained at Black Water under an ex-Delta force Sergeant."

_What is this a comic? This kid has to be bs-ing me._

"Let's go then. You take point. Try not to shoot yourself, okay?"

Hirano started out the door first. I had to admit I was impressed that he held his gun properly.

_Now if he knows how to shoot, then we'll be in business._

Thinking about Hirano just made me miss my guns more. I turned to Takagi.

"Stay close."

I heard a –tchh- sound coming from her.

_Ah to be young._

Luckily, I didn't have to worry about Hirano. He really did know what he was doing. He got headshots and these THINGS just dropped.

_Time for a change of pace._

I grabbed the nearest one of THEM by the neck and pushed my knife right underneath the jaw strait into the skull cavity. Right away, ITbecame heavy and stopped moving. I pulled the Ka-Bar out and it dropped to the floor, motionless.

_Marines: 1 Freaks of nature: 0._

Now I had a way to fight. Before I could grab another one of THEM, Hirano stopped.

"We there yet?" I asked.

Takagi took some initiative.

"In here quickly", She said.

_And I thought I would take my time._

She didn't notice my disdain. Maybe I was getting better at my poker face. As I entered, I saw a figure move. I quickly moved to take care of it when…

"Miss Shizuka!" I heard Hirano gasp.

That was when I noticed that the figure wasn't one of THEM, it was a woman. I also noticed several other kids in the room. One was a boy, tall and black haired armed with a bloody baseball bat. One of the girls was had golden brown hair and armed with a makeshift spear. The last girl appeared to be a little older. Her hair was black, almost purple, and she carried a wooden Bokken.

_I can't believe I didn't notice them._

It was at that moment I realized my age was catching up with me. It had been far too long since I'd had a combat high. I needed too cool down and think about the situation.

"I am Miss Shizuka. Who are you?" the woman asked.

I snapped out of my thought and answered.

"Alex Ambrose, USMC retired" I replied.

By the look on her face, I judged that she had never heard of the Corps.

"I'm an American soldier", I clarified.

I noticed the boy's faces show relief, but then quickly turn to suspicion.

"Before you ask for proof, please note that my knife has the Marine Corps symbol on it."

I held out the knife for them to see. They still didn't seem satisfied.

_Figures that they'd question the guy with the most combat experience._

"Look, we need a plan before we all end up dead", I said.

"Let's focus on getting out of here first", Hirano replied.

The kid seemed calm. I could count on him. I nodded and started for the door.

"Show of hands, who's coming?" I asked.

Silently, they all filed out one by one. I didn't even know why I was in this situation. If I had to face this with some random strangers, I figured we needed a place to rest and think.

_And my guns._


	5. Leaving the Dead

**_Insert Disclaimer_ I'm really going through fast. I should probably work on making chapters longer. I'm going to leave the part about Shidou out, just because I don't like him. Please inform me of any mistakes.**

"Doe's anyone live close by?" I asked eyeing the group.

"I have an apartment nearby," Miss Shizuka replied.

"It'll have to do. Where is it?"

She gave me the address. With this many people, the best thing to do was to get a bus. I knew that during a pandemic, most people would drive away and end up clogging the streets. Hopefully we were far enough away from the city to avoid this problem. "Hirano, where are the buses kept?" I asked.

"Near the back entrance. The keys won't be in though," he replied.

"That's alright. I can hot wire the engine," the boy with the bat replied.

"What's your name kid?" I asked moving out of his way. He sounded annoyed.

"My name is Takashi Komuro," he grunted. As he brought his bat down on a skull, I noticed that he was using far more force than necessary.

"And don't call me kid," he added.

"Whatever floats your boat sport," I replied. I could tell he didn't like that either. Changing the subject, I asked about the two other girls.

"Saeko Busujima," the taller girl replied.

"Rei Miyamoto," the other girl replied.

Takagi held up a hand.

"Quite. We're here," she whispered. She still wasn't armed.

_I hope she can pull her weight. The last thing I needed was dead weight._

I looked over toward the buses there were about 30 of THEM. I turned to everyone.

"Here's the plan," I started, "I'll go out first. Hirano, want you to follow me. After you, I want Takagi and Miss Shizuka. Busujima and Miyamoto next. Komuro, I want you to cover the back."

"Think you can handle it?" Miyamoto teased. Instead of replying, Komuro turned away with a blush.

"Alright, Get ready. NOW!" I started at a slow jog, hoping everyone could keep up. Unfortunately, my hopes were smashed. Takagi stayed close to the slowest, Miss Shizuka. Miyamoto and Busujima sped ahead while Hirano started breathing heavily.

"New plan," I yelled out, "everyone get to the bus. I'll distract them. Hurry."

I grabbed one of THEM, lifted IT above my shoulders and hurled it right into a cluster of THEM. I pulled out my Ka-Bar and stabbed it through an eye socket. I pulled it out and thrust it right behind the ear of one of THEM.

"Get in!" Hirano cried out from the bus.

As I turned God, Allah or whoever decided to bring down a transmission tower right in front of me.

_Hey God, I wanted you to smite my enemies, not me._

"Just leave. I'll catch up later. Promise," I called back. I turned around and immediately heard the engine start. I ran straight through the group of THEM. I figured now would be as good a time as any to go and get my guns. I took the way to a side entrance, hoping it would be clearer than the other parts of the school. Again my prayers were not answered. There must have been dozens of them shambling around. Just then I thought about earlier.

_None of THEM responded when I was silent. THEY only acted when they hear noise._

Testing my theory I stepped out into the open silently. I started moving toward the gate.

_So far, so good._

I kept going, quickly yet silently, moving past THEM. Halfway toward the gate, lying on the ground was a ball. Trying out a new idea, I grabbed the ball and hurled it towards one of THEM. As it hit, IT made no reaction as to being hit. An added bonus was the ball made enough noise to lure THEM toward the ball. Hopefully my luck would last until I got to a safe place. I got past the last of THEM and made it out of the school. I started jogging back the way I came. THEY only walked at a slow pace so I figured I could out walk them easily, but I still needed to hurry. I wanted to be armed before it got dark. I finally thought about the kids. Even though they acted tough, they were still just kids.

_Snap out of it. Focus on the here and now._

**15 minutes later…**

I got to the hotel around sunset. The place looked fine but I didn't want to take any chances. I found a locked car and smashed through the windshield, setting of the car alarm. A few of THEM came out of the hotel. So did a large group of them from across the street. I hurried inside and up the stairs. I got to my room, locked the door and went to get my gear.

**Hey now that the chapters over, could you please press the amazing blue button below and send a review? Anything would be good, even flames. Please?**


	6. Dead Reloaded

**I do not own HSOTD or the quote from American Apocalypse. Thanks for your support.**

The first thing I did was change into my BDU. I then tossed on my Dragon Skin body armor. It wouldn't prevent bites to my arms or legs, but I still might need it. Next went on my ALICE gear loaded with the three spare mags and the MK II in a shoulder holster. Next went on my gun belt. I used a Bill Jordan quick draw rig. He had made it famous when he was a Texas Ranger working on the Tex-Mex border. I grabbed the last of my gear and headed out. I got lucky. Shizuka's house was nearby.

_My luck just keeps going up and down._

I exited the hotel and saw THEM still attacking the car. I decided to try my guns on them. I grabbed the MK II and aimed down the sights. Despite what movies show, suppressors only reduce sound, not eliminate it entirely. I aimed for a head and fired.

-SWIP-

The round streaked toward IT and glanced of completely. Worse yet, THEY heard me and started shambling toward me. I took aim again and fired.

-SWIP-

This time it hit. I started going through the mag with renewed confidence. After the ten rounds were spent, I dropped the mag a started for another, then stopped.

_I don't have infinite bullets. I can't afford to waste them like water._

I bent down to pick up the mag and started walking away from the herd. I started out toward the address Shizuka had given me. It was easy to spot. They must have had on every single light. I was about a block away and I could still hear them yelling out. I went up to a group of THEM that had converged around the front door.

"Hey! Over here! Fresh Meat!" I called out. I managed to lure out all of them and herded them around the block. About half way, I broke out into a sprint and left them there. I went back around to the front of the apartment and saw Takashi out front.

"Hurry up and get in here," he called out holding the door open.

_Why do they all think I'm so slow?_

I hurried in and was greeted by Kohta. I had noticed that he was armed.

"Mind if I take a look at that," I pointed, indicating his revolver.

"Sure," he replied simply, handing it to me grip first.

"Smith & Wesson M37 Air weight. Chambered for .38."

Hirano seemed impressed. He looked over at my guns.

"You have a Ruger MK II internally suppressed. That's a SEAL weapon. I don't recognize the other one though."

I pulled out the Vaquero.

"This is my Ruger Vaquero. I'm not surprised you don't recognize it. It's a single-action in the days of fully automatic handguns."

I had seen how he handled the nail gun. The .38 was about as dangerous, so I handed it back to him.

"Where are the girls?"

"They're in the bathroom."

"Are they holding a WWE match in there? I could hear them a block away through all the moaning."

"Miss Shizuka found out where her roommate kept the liquor," Hirano answered with a blush.

I left it at that until…

"Shizuka has a roommate? Where is she?" I asked looking around.

"Looking for a girlfriend old man?" Takashi smirked.

"You mean like you and Miyamoto?" I replied without faltering.

He just blushed and looked away. I figured I should calm him down.

"Listen, liking a girl is fine and I have no problem with it. Kids grow up fast in battle."

He didn't reply, but he seemed calmer now. I was about to ask him if everyone was okay when Kohta called out.

"There's a vault up here."

I headed up the stairs. I entered the room and saw a cheap Japanese gun vault.

"We need to open that," I said staring at the vault. "Hirano go get me a wedge or something."

He hurried out of the room in search.

"Why?" asked Takashi.

"Because if I'm right," I replied, "there are guns in that vault."

"You mean real guns!"

"Yeah. Any experience shooting?"

"No," he replied. I could tell something was wrong.

_Hopefully, I'm wrong but if not, then I need to put his mind at ease._

"You shot someone, didn't you?" it was more a statement than a question.

"Yeah," Takashi grudgingly replied. The kid looked pale just thinking about it.

"Listen, I got some advice for you."

'Some men are born to a love of violence; others acquire a taste for it. In wartime many consider it a tool to be put aside once victory has been achieved. Nevertheless, all of those who have experienced it will find they remain marked by it until death. For those of us born into it, only a few will realize that it is a gift that must be contained, hidden, and controlled, for otherwise it will destroy us. Like fire, all it knows is that it must burn. Who and what it consumes in the process means nothing to it'

As I finished, I could tell the kid had a newfound respect in me.

"Now let me ask you this, did you do it to save your girls life?" I asked looking straight into his eyes.

"Yes," he replied.

"Killing is just like the fire. Use it only when you need to. Don't let it burn your soul."

He looked right at me.

"Thanks old man. That was some truly profound shit," he replied with a small grin. Just then, Hirano decided to interrupt.

"Hey. I found a steel pipe. Will it work?"

"Let's find out," I replied, grabbing the pipe. I brought the foot and a half piece of steel and brought it down on the lock. The lock popped right off. I looked inside and found 7.62x51 ammo, 12 gauge shot shells, and some bolts for a crossbow.

"Ammo. If logic proves right, in the other side we'll find," I paused to break open the other lock and pull the door open.

"Guns," I smiled. I turned and saw Hirano was ecstatic with a huge grin on his face. I turned back to the remnants of the safe and started taking inventory. I pulled one rifle out, and pulled back the slide.

"M1A Super Match with a Surefire M900 foregrip and an Aimpoint Comp M2/3 red dot sight. Hirano, can you take care of this?"

"No problem," he replied earnestly. I handed it off to him and he became lost in his own little world. I grabbed the next rifle in line.

"Ithaca model 37 with an Aimpoint Comp M2 dot-sight."

I racked it to check for shells. Seeing it was empty, I squeezed the trigger and passed it over to Hirano. I grabbed the last one and pulled back the bolt.

"AR-10, reconfigured to resemble an SR-25."

I kept this one. I was amazed by how well he knew them. I could tell what he was thinking.

"Don't screw around with them and you can keep them."

_They grow up so fast when everything gets FUBAR._

I passed over the M1A mags for Hirano to load. I started to load the AR-10 mags when the girls came out.

"Hey look. It's Mr. Marine," Miyamoto cried out. I could smell the liquor on her breath.

"Three things. First, my name is Alex Ambrose, not 'Mr. Marine'. Second, you might want to tone down the noise. Third, aren't you a little young to be drinking?" I asked without looking up.

"Why you gonna call? My dad?" she grinned at me. Just as quickly, she broke down and started to cry. I looked over at Takashi.

"Touchy subject?"

"You have no idea," he replied.

_I leave the world of close quarter battles with crazy radicals, only to find myself dealing with teenage hormones. I think I liked the terrorists better._

I snapped the last round into the mag, loaded it into the rifle, and pulled the charging handle. I went out onto the balcony and scanned the nearby area. There was a bridge a few blocks ahead that was covered with emergency lighting. I glanced through the scope and saw some protesters.

_Bunch of right wingers._

"See anything interesting?" Busujima asked from behind me.

"Some kind of riot near the bridge. This is just like Resident Evil: Afterlife. That would make me Wentworth Miller and you would be Milla Jovovitch."

"Who?" I turned to answer and paused. Busujima was dressed in an apron.

"What are you wearing?"

"There wasn't anything else my size"

_The world goes to shit, people start eating eat other and I'm stuck in an apartment with a bunch of half-naked, jailbait teens._

"Screw this. Is there any alcohol left?"

**That's it for now. I got the quote from American Apocalypse. It's a great e-book. I just started playing Mass Effect. Great game. I'm going to start working on a self insert story. I should release the first chapter in a few days. Peace out.**


	7. My Buddy, G

**Back from my out of body trip (My excuse for a late chapter). Geoffrey Dees belongs to ChaoticCrazy. Enjoy.**

/:::\\\

I turned back into the apartment and proceeded to look for the kitchen.

"Liquor cabinets downstairs," Hirano replied looking up from the M1A. I moved past Miyamoto and Takagi who were starting to sleep off the alcohol. I left the AR-10 with Hirano and told him to cover the balcony and call out if there was a problem. Walking down the stairs, I checked my gum, only to see it was completely covered in blood.

_Note to self: look for more Dentyne gum._

Moving over to the liquor cabinet, I pulled out some bottles at random and set them on the counter. One of them looked familiar.

Bacon Vodka

100 Proof

Made in America

_Wow! Didn't expect to see this in a woman's apartment._

I popped off the top and took a swig. Memories of my off time a decade ago started to come back. Hopefully my buddies were still alive. If the entire world was facing a zombie epidemic, then I probably wouldn't see them again.

"This is for you Nav," I whispered, taking another swig.

-CLICK-

I spun around and saw Komuro with the Ithaca pointing at me. Quickly, I grabbed the rifle and pulled it right out of his hands, racked the slide and dropped it to the ground. Komuro started reaching for the revolver. As soon as it was out and starting to point at me, I gave his hand a quick smack and managed to get him into an arm-lock. I pulled the revolver out of his hands and swung the cylinder out, letting the rounds fall to the floor.

-Clink-Clink-Clink-Clink-Clink-

As snapped the cylinder closed and handed it, butt first, towards him. He grabbed it without hesitation.

"You want to tell me what that was about?" I asked

"You think your some kind of God! You think just because you're a soldier you can order us around. Just looking down on me and treating me like a kid! I can take care of myself!" he burst out starting to wave the gun around.

"Listen up," I replied; steel in my voice, "I could have left you to die back at the school. I don't even know you kids and I still risked my life to save you. If this is worldwide, you need to put aside your differences with me. If not, we could go a few more rounds until you're black and blue," I finished, kneeling over and picked up the Ithaca.

"Can you teach me that?"

I turned to see Miyamoto on the stairs, looking at me, with virtually no trace of any alcohol induced effects. I assumed she was talking about my martial arts style.

_We don't have enough guns to arm everyone. Even if she is handy with a spear, you should always have a backup. Besides, there's no telling how much stress that stick can take before breaking._

"Alright. The only thing is that when I tell you to do something, you do it now hesitation. Understand?" Without waiting for an answer, I moved passed her, going up into the loft of the apartment. I put down the Ithaca and drew my KA-BAR. I held it out, handle first, to her. She took it and kept looking at me waiting for instructions.

"Stab me," I said calmly

"What!" she screamed at me.

"By the way no screaming. Those corpses only respond to sound. Now, try and stab me."

She looked uncertain. After about a half a minute, she gave a feeble attempt to try and stab me. I just took a small step to my left.

"You want to learn to defend yourself? You do as you're told. Now try again. This time, do it like you mean it."

Miyamoto took hold of my knife and gave tried again, this time with some power. I grabbed her wrist and pushed her elbow in and behind her back, grabbing the knife out of her hands and moving back into a comfortable fighting stance.

"How did you do that?" another voice asked. Behind Miyamoto, Takagi was up and staring at us.

"Practice, practice and more practice. Also by limiting my alcohol consumption. I don't need to be seeing doubles of everything."

"Oh my God, it was just one drink," She replied, throwing her head into her arms.

"Are you sure it was one drink. Are you sure it wasn't twenty drinks?" I asked, already knowing the answer. Busujima and Marikawa were watching us, obviously amused (possibly more so due to the inebriation). I refocused my attention on Miyamoto. Before I could start my spiel, Hirano cried out.

"Hey, uhh, Mister Ambrose!"

"Just call me Alex. No need to make me feel older than I am. What's the problem?"

"Five houses down! Little girl in the corner of the yard!"

I didn't need anything to see the girl. No more than ten or eleven. I knew what I had to do.

"I'll be back," I said, making an unrecognized iconic reference. I grabbed my KA-BAR from Miyamoto and worked my way to the front door. Komuro was there waiting. (A/N; For my purposes, there will not be a motorcycle.)

"I'm coming," he said.

_Time to let bygones be bygones._

"You even point that thing at me and you dead. Understand?" I asked, indicating the Ithaca. He just smiled. I went outside and opened up the gate. I turned towards the balcony.

"Hirano, can you cover us?"

"No problem," he replied, thumb raised. I could hear him flick the safety off and rack the AR-10. Without checking on Komuro, I broke into a sprint towards the house, plowing through the horde. I could see the 7.62 rounds tear through the heads with deadly accuracy.

_Guess his training worked out._

Hirano had also given Komuro a crash course with the Ithaca. The kid was doing pretty well, aiming just a bit lower and letting the recoil guide the sights towards the head. As I got closer, I heard a burst of fire. It was full-auto, nothing like what we had. Worst of all, _it was from the yard__._ I hauled ass even faster, probably breaking a few records, trying to get to the yard in time. I pushed my way through the last of the horde, pulled my MK. II out and came face to face with a kid I knew all too well armed with an AK-look-a-like.

"Geoff? How the hell'd you get stuck in this mess?"

"Talk later man. Got to kill me some zeds," he replied. The girl looked fine, maybe a scratch or two.

"Komuro, grab the girl. I don't think we're going to get out that way," I said, indicating the front gate. The dead were literally starting to squeeze through.

"Everyone on the ledge. Hopefully, they won't be able to grab us."

"You're entrusting our lives to the stereotype of short Japanese?" he asked rhetorically.

"You got any better ideas?" I came back. He just grunted in response, slinging his MPi-KM over his shoulder and scrambled to the top of the wall. I made sure his M37 was secured and then had Komuro hold the girl over his shoulders. Still in the corner was a small dog, probably weighing no more than twenty pounds. I picked him up in one hand, holding my pistol in between my teeth while I hauled myself up the wall. Not that safest way, but I doubted the NRA would be revoking my membership. The horde had grown even larger now; up to a couple hundred. There was no way we were getting out on our own.

"What's the plan now?" Geoff asked.

"I was thinking about pushing you in and running like hell," I replied with a grin. My hopes for this fictional plan were dashed when I saw a Hummer. Busijima, for some reason I'll never understand, was standing on top of the truck.

"The calvary has arrived," my grin getting, if possible, even bigger. The truck crashed through a good quarter of the mob before it came to a stop. Geoff jumped in, followed by Komuro. Once they had taken a seat, I passed the dog down.

"Hirano, pass me the M1A," I ordered. Almost instantly, the rifle was out of the truck. I picked it up, flicked the safety off and charged the bolt. I hoped in, steadied myself and smacked the roof with the palm of my hand.

"Go!" I shouted and lurched forward. Had I not prepared myself, I probably would have landed on my ass missing most of my head. I took careful aim and started firing. I had made about five clean misses out of twenty rounds.

_Damn. I am getting old._

I released the mag and dropped it onto the seat, holding my hand out for another.

"I haven't loaded anymore," Hirano simply replied. Not much I could do about that. I safe'd the rifle and dropped in. I needed to take a quick inventory.

"G, still got all your weapons?"

"I have my Bowie and I got a Spetsnaz shovel. Obviously my MPi-KM. I didn't expect Z-day to happen, so my 1911 and M21 are at home. Same for my bayonet. I have five regular capacity banana mags and one seventy-five Chinese drum. Four mags for the 1911 and M21. As far as ammo goes, I've got about two hundred .45 ACP and five hundred 7.62x39 and 7.62 NATO for both rifles. Of course that's all at my house."

"Hirano, what do we have?" I asked, knocking him out of his man-crush fantasy. These guys would get along.

"We've got the M1A Super Match with five magazines and a bayonet, the AR-10/SR-25 also with five mags and an Ithacca M37. We've got fifty shells and five hundred rounds for both rifles."

I took a moment to think it over. I had known G for quite a while. I wouldn't want anyone else with me when the shit hits the fan. And that's really something to say about the kid. I knew he wouldn't want to leave his guns behind.

"Who is this?" asked Busujima referring to Geoff.

"Oh sorry. This is Geoffrey Dees, a friend of mine. I smuggled in some of his things," I answered. G just stared at her looking like he was going to fall out of his seat. I nudged him.

"Keep it in your pants. Who's gonna make classic movie reference if you die? No way I'm losing you because you couldn't control your thoughts," I said, watching both Busujima's face and G's turn a lovely shade of red.

_Smuggling in an assault rifle to Japan; $836.27 Smuggling in the ammo; $163. 43 Seeing his face go red; Priceless._

Marikawa started slowing down and I looked out the window. We were getting closer to the bridge. The barricade was partially intact with the dead still roaming around. The river looked like it had about three feet of water. Previous experience told me that it would be safer to go through the river than try to break down the barricade. I tapped her on the shoulder and pointed towards the running water.

"Take the water route. It'll be much safer," She just nodded her head and suddenly yawned. It was contagious as I yawned too. I looked down at my watch and read 5:52. I had spent all night completely awake. I would have to make time to sleep soon. That and everyone else. All the girls looked like they were ready to pass out. The guys, we're starting to show sign of sleep deprivation. As soon as we crossed, I'd make sure they all got some sleep. I took a moment to top off my current magazine and field stripped it. Still in working condition.

_I don't care what people say about American products. We still make some nice guns._

"Marikawa. Once you get to the other side, park it. Hirano, you and Geoff have the first watch. Wake me in an hour or if anything goes wrong," I ordered. The last thing I saw was Hirano nodding his head.

**There you go. Sorry it took me so long. I got into a slump. If anyone wants to send in some OCs let me know. As usual please review. I'm always looking to make this better.**


	8. Mount Up

**I'm gonna just power through my aforementioned slump. Adalwolf is the property of ziel101. As I think about it, I haven't really done much with cannon characters. I just can't really work with them. If I take on OCs I may have to send some cannons to the grave. –Stares at Zeke- Sacrilegious you say? Excellent…**

**Mount Up**

**/:::\\\**

You think your dreams aren't fun? Neither are mine. When I do dream, it's never good. I don't believe in a sixth sense, but sometimes you have to wonder if the Big Guy is trying to tell you something. My mind had turned into a proverbial storm, going through everything that had happened to me in the past day. With all the zombie media out there, I wondered how I didn't see the signs. Was it all the violence I saw in Afghanistan? Nahh. I never had that kind of problem. Even with theAdalwolf family, it wasn't this bad. If that other guy's trying to kill you, for his country, fighting for what he believes in, I can respect that. The dead? They don't have that. They defy all laws of nature, hunting anything that moves, eating without concern for the innocent. The dead have passed and they still won't rest. Maybe Beelzebub has a wicked sense of humor, sending those that wanted to live back. Then again, that wouldn't surprise me…

/:::\\\

I started to come to, just barely aware of who was talking.

"So where'd you get the AK?"

"AK? Are you kidding me? This is an MPi-KM. If the AKM had a genetically modified 'super-child,' this would be it. Made in East Germany and far more accurate than you granddad's AK."

I had to smile. G hadn't changed a bit. Even if he did start bitching about not having any videogames, I'd put up with him. My watch told me I had about five minutes. Back in combat, you had to work with next to no sleep, so it didn't bother me. I'd catch some extra minutes here and there. I nudged Komuro as I got out. He had somehow lodged himself between Busujima and Miyamoto. The girl was still sitting on his lap, also out like a light. Marikawa was asleep in the driver's seat, with Takagi passed out in shotgun.

_A hundred years ago, riding shotgun literally meant you had a shotgun. I'm gonna guess we're going to be seeing a lot of regression. Who knows? Maybe 'old-school' single action revolvers would become high-tech again. _

I opened up the door, took a quick stretch and walked over to the other two. Zeke was nervously pacing around the two, glancing around for who knows what.

"Morning. Anything happen while I was out?" I asked.

"Just a random gunshot here and there. Nothing special," Geoff replied slowly. I could tell he was thinking about his guns. He was still new to most of the people here and he thought he might be taking advantage of our friendship if we went to get them.

"Don't worry. I know you. We'll go get your gear. Wouldn't want you running around naked would we?" I joked, putting his mind at ease. He just chuckled in reply, looking like he had a ten-ton weight taken from his shoulders.

"Hirano, how are you on sleep?"

"Just a little tired," he casually replied. I just nodded.

I needed to know more about him, so I guess it's time for Q&A.

"So Hirano, how did you get a chance to learn from a D-boy?"

"What?"

"Delta Operator."

"Ohh. Well I went to America for vacation last year. When my dad was working, I wandered around. At a local shooting range, a man asked me if I knew anything about guns. He seemed impressed with my knowledge. He then asked me if I had ever shot before. I told him that I never did and he took it on himself to teach me. I never really did think about why he did. Maybe he saw something in me. Whatever the reason, I'm glad he did. He started talking about himself. How he was an ex-Delta Master Sergeant and how he was working for Blackwater USA"

"Man. I always knew those guys had no self-respect. A PMC teaching someone he doesn't even know. Glad I didn't take their offer," I casually mentioned. G looked shocked.

"When did Blackwater try to recruit you?" he practically shouted. I just gave an Air Force salute; a shrug.

"It was just recently. 'About a couple of months ago' recent. You know me; I don't feel the need to put my entire life's story on Facebook."

"You don't even have Facebook," he retorted. Another shrug from me.

"Exactly," I simply spoke. He just shook his head. I could hear someone starting to stir from behind me. I turned around to see Komuro wriggle himself out of the truck.

"Well, well, well. The mighty man awakes and joins us mortals. How 'ya feelin?" I asked.

"Like I slept on a rock," he replied rubbing his neck. I just snorted.

"Brother, you know nothing about sleeping uncomfortably. I had to sleep on ice during below zero weather," I lectured, giving him a slug in the arm. He grimaced with mock pain. I put on a serious face and pointed at him.

"I still remember you pointing a gun at me," I said. He responded in turn with a sheepish look. As I looked at the M1A in Hirano's hands, I noticed the bayonet lug.

"Hirano, we got a bayonet for that?" I asked, waving my hand at the rifle. He headed back to the truck and back in a couple of seconds. Mounted on the rifle was a well-cared for bayonet.

"Give it to Miyamoto when she wakes up. She can use it to replace her spear," I ordered. I felt a tug at my shirt. I turned around to see the little girl.

"Ummm, do you know where my daddy is?" she asked with a whisper. I thought back to the yard. There had been the body of a man. It was in times like this that I had to do the right thing. Lie through my teeth.

"Your dad had to go do something. He asked us to go take you to him," I answered gently. She still looked a bit unsure.

"Did you daddy ever tell you about policemen?" I asked. She slowly nodded her head.

"Well I do something a lot like that. We're here to make sure you stay safe, okay?" I whispered with a smile. This time she looked much happier.

_Kids. Always knew I was great with them._

"G, give Marikawa the directions to your apartment. Hirano, go grab the SR-25. Komuro, you'll be with me in the back of the truck. Let's move people," I instructed. The guys rushed to get moving, while the ladies were trying to shake off the lack of sleep, stretching out and cracking joints.

"Hey old-man. We need to change into some clean cloths," Miyamoto demanded, all traces of inebriation gone. I waved my hand towards the guys.

"Give the ladies their privacy."

**MUCH LATER**

"Alright, what do you think?" she asked, coming around from the humvee. She looked exactly the same to me. Common sense told me not to say it, so I did.

"You changed?" I asked, trying not to laugh as her face changed into that of a Fury. I could hear the guys trying not to laugh as well. I decided it was time to put on myserious face.

"Now that you're clothed, can we get moving?"

Our 'A-team' started up once again, this time a bit better. I sat down on the bed of the truck next to Komuro. Hirano had taken to the top hatch, while everyone else buckled in. Our drive was relatively uneventful, save for a stray zed here and there. I didn't need to waste any ammo fixing a couple of problems. Let someone else take care of it. Despite the fact that there was an unusually large amount of blood on the ground, I found myself at peace. I closed my eyes and breathed in the smell of the Cherry Blossoms. Winter was coming and they would soon go into hibernation, replaced by the new snow. The thought lay in my head had put me into peace with the universe…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Are we there yet?" Takagi asked, snapping me out of my zen moment. I had to will myself not to kick her out of the truck.

"We'll get there **soon,**" I replied as calmly as I possibly could.

"And that will be…?"

".," I answered trying not to snap. The girl couldn't see I was on the edge. Luckily for her, Geoff spoke up.

"Listen, he got pretty much all his kills in close combat. He was right up next to the guys he killed. So close, he could count the bullet holes. It never bothered him. Do you think he won't hesitate to kick you off?" he asked, effectively shutting her up.

_Chalk up another one for the list. At this rate, the whole gangs gonna hate me. Aww well._

My mind immediately drifted to planning. Old habits are hard to break.

_We get G's gear. The kids'll probably want to look for their parents. What we need most is to find some more weapons and ammo. Or, even rarer, competent government disaster centers._

I had worked with government types before and they came in two types. Government pukes and CIA spooks. The Pukes would constantly mess with our rules of engagement. 'Why can't we call in artillery on the guys sniping us? Well it would just look bad on TV.' The spooks were worse. They were constantly giving us crap intel. If they said that the village head was a Taliban leader, you could expect the opposite…

/:::\\\

Yet again I was knocked out of my thoughts. This time it was much better.

"Alright, we're here," G called out to us. I dropped to the ground and took a look. Minus the occasional dead guy here and there and the, place looked like your average complex. It was a standard five story apartment complex, about three apartments wide for a total of fifteen apartments. I pulled out my Mk II, did a brass check and thumbed the safety off.

"Hirano, stay back on the truck. Komuro, you second behind me. G, you're up next. Everyone else, wait here until we've cleared it up."

I pulled out my SOG Tsunami knife and assumed a Center Axis Relock stance. I moved up the stair, left shoulder first, Ruger held close to my chest. I held up my left hand to let Komuro to check the left corner when we turned. I moved to the top of the stairs and swung right, putting him at my back. I pushed my back into Komuro, letting him know to walk forward a few step. G came up the stair and took the spot where I had just been.

"When I move up to the next floor, switch places with Geoff," I whispered. He gave a quick nod in reply. I hurried up the stairs and took my point as G rushed past me. There was a single zed but luckily I was taller than G so it was no problem to take it out. He didn't even seem concerned about it, revealing how much he trusted me. With his life. He pulled out a rather large key ring and started muttering as he flipped through them. After about a minute, he found the right one and pushed the door open. I waved down to the group to let them know it was safe to come up. I walked inside and was greeted with a shrine to all things American. There was a DVD rack filled with the classics; Dirty Harry, Three Stooges, A Fistful of Dollars, Commando, AvP, Rambo, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The Searchers, Zombieland,Rocky Balboa, and my all time favorite, Full Metal Jacket. The room was covered in videogame posters from obscure Japanese games, to big hits like Modern Warfare and Mario. On the floor was an X-box 360. All his guns were illegal, so he had to hide them someplace safe.

"Bet you ten bucks I can find your gun safe," I said.

"You're on," he replied. I immediately went to his bedroom. Again, I was greeted by posters with an American flag hanging over the bed in a dignified way.

_Now if I was an eighteen year old hiding illegal guns, where would I put them?_

I pondered the questions for a second and then walked over to the closet. I pushed the military styled clothing aside and punched through the drywall. I grabbed hold of the edges and pulled away the excess. Hidden in the wall was a security box. I pulled it out, set it on the bed and opened it. Inside was a disassembled M21, a Remington 1911 and a dozen different types of mags. I quickly assembled both weapons and proceeded to load the magazines. I didn't need to look up to know Geoff was there.

"You know you could have just pulled it by the corners."

"And miss out on the fun. By the way, you owe me ten bucks," I shot back. He just pulled out his wallet and tossed it at me.

"Go choke on it," he said with a smile. I just laughed.

"Your ten bucks is more worthless than pebbles. Let me know when you get some real cash," I said, holding out the two weapons. He picked both up, examined them, and put the M21 back o his bed. He rummaged through his closet a bit and pulled out a tactical vest and a brain bucket. I left him to go talk to the group. They had already made themselves comfortable. I cleared my throat to grab their attention.

"Alright. Now I'm sure you don't all want to join me and G to who knows where. I'm sure some of you want to see your families, but to do that we'll need to make a plan."

Miyamoto spoke up first.

"We should call my dad. He's a policeman. He can help us," she spoke, her voice filled with hope. I didn't want to, but someone needed to slap her awake.

"That won't work. If he is an officer, he'll be too busy to help us. The Japanese police are dedicated to serving. If he is, then we can't expect to get special treatment," I spoke. She looked crushed. I jerked my head towards her, hoping Komuro would get the message. He did. Hirano spoke up next.

"My dad's a jeweler and he's in Amsterdam. My mom's a fashion designer working France right now," he said, trying and failing to say it nonchalantly. Takagi immediately pounced on him.

"What the hell? Is your life a frickin anime?" she said.

"If he was in an anime, his dad would be ship captain," Marikawa replied dreamily.

"Actually that was my grandfather. My grandmother was a cello player," he answered. Takagi just looked defeated. (Wasn't sure what the grandmother played.)

"Enough. What about the rest of you?"

"My father is away in America," Busujima answered.

"My mom teaches pre-school nearby," Komuro added.

"My parent live close by," Takagi murmured.

"I don't really have any family. Just my roommate," Marikawa interjected. I paused to think of the situation. We need to get the most important people first.

"Marikawa, what does your roommate do for a living? Those guns weren't exactly legal."

"Her name's Rika Minami. She works with the Prefectural police," She answered.

_If the woman had that kind of firepower in her apartment, then I wonder what she can get from her superiors. Waitaminute. R. Minami? Could it really be?_

"If my hunch is correct, then your roommate is one of the top five snipers in the entire world," I spoke, the shock on Hirano evident. Everyone else, as with most things paramilitary looked completely confused.

"Snipers are highly trained marksmen created for long distance engagements. They are **the** ghost warriors. It'd help to have another trained professional. Marikawa, do you have any idea where she's stationed?" I inquired.

"I'm sorry. I have no idea," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it. Even if you did know, it's possible that she'd have been moved," I quickly responded. I was not good with depression, especially depressed women. I glanced at my watch just as G came back in, decked out in military garb.

_Geoffrey Dees. The mini-Marine._

"Hey Geoff. I want to catch up on some sleep. Give Komuro a lesson on the M37. Everyone else, grab some sleep if you need it," I ordered my group.

"I feel fine. I can also keep watch," Busujima spoke up. I nodded in response. She had a silent weapon that would come in handy. I had seen her handle the bokken just fine. I safe'd the MK II and handed it over to G.

"Temporary trade. My Ruger for you AK."

"I want it back," he said, not a hint of humor on his face. I hefted the rifle, ejected the mag, racked the chamber, caught the round, reinserted the round and snapped the mag back in place, all in one smooth motion.

"No problem. Wake me when you need me," I said and then went to crash on the couch.

**Hey everyone. I know these are kinda short, so please bear with me. If you have any suggestions or want to send an OC, please review or PM me. Survivalkid21 out.**


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